Arapaima

Q: Can you eat Arapaima?

Large, firm white fillets with a mild, clean flavor and low fat; historically a staple protein in Amazonian communities. Often salted and dried; sustainable harvest is tightly regulated.

Q: How big does Arapaima get?

Arapaima can grow up to 450.0 cm long and weigh 200.0 kg.

Q: Where is Arapaima found?

Restricted to the Amazon River basin in Brazil, Peru, Guyana, and Bolivia. Inhabits flooded várzea lakes, oxbows, and large river channels; surfaces frequently to breathe air using a modified swim bladder. Floodplain lakes (várzea) and large river channels of the Amazon basin. Slow-moving, shallow, warm freshwater (26-30°C). An obligate air-breather; rises to surface to gulp air. Largest freshwater fish

Q: Is Arapaima endangered?

The conservation status of Arapaima is Data Deficient according to the IUCN Red List.

Q: What family does Arapaima belong to?

Arapaima (Arapaima gigas) belongs to the family Arapaimidae (Bonytongues) in the order Osteoglossiformes (Bony-tongued fishes).

Abstract

One of the largest freshwater fish on Earth, the arapaima can reach 4.5 metres and 200 kilograms in the varzea floodplain lakes and river channels of the Amazon. An obligate air-breather, it rises every ten to twenty minutes to gulp air through a modified, lung-like swim bladder, an adaptation to warm, oxygen-poor water. Its dark olive body flushes vivid red-orange along the posterior flanks, and its bony tongue crushes prey against the roof of the mouth. Native to Brazil, Peru, Guyana, and Bolivia, the species yields large, firm white fillets that have long been an Amazonian staple, salted and dried. Listed as Data Deficient, it is now taken only under tightly regulated, sustainable harvest, and remains a coveted quarry for anglers using large lures and cut bait.